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The recent release of the Intel Pentium III has consumers as well as businesses concerned about the privacy ofthe computer world The controversial issue is a feature in the Pentium III chip known as a Processor SerialNumber or PSN It identifies individual machines connected to the internet by way of a unique numberembedded in the chip According to Intel the PSN will be used to identify users in electronic commerce andother net-based applications The PSN will be used as access control for questionable material on the internet Intel also admits thought that when used in conjunction with user name and password the PSN can be used byweb sites to identify useres when conduting e-commerce or setting up member only chatrooms The chip PSN can also be used in association with other individual identifying data to trace email builddatabases of user habits and monitor usage of copyrighted material The PSN will help curb computer theftsays Intel but others disagree They contend that the PSN feature would allow software makers to pierce theprivacy of our computer users The arguement is not with what the chip was made for but against what couldbe done with it The software makers would quickly use the PSN to monitor thier costomers behavior andcreate databases With this capability companies can join databases and have access to personal informationSo then there needs to be a governing body of people to regulate those companies as to what they cando with the information the PSN provides But there is none Intel said they would rely on the companies topolice themselves upholding a voluntary code that restricts the amount of information computer companiesInternet service providers web sites and telecommunications companies can collect and how they use it Thisis where people get concerned What companies do with personal information is very frieghtening to someinternet civil rights activist groups That is why some of these groups have filed a formal complaint to do awaywith

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